Business Motion

– in the Scottish Parliament at 12:00 pm on 28 October 1999.

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Photo of Euan Robson Euan Robson Liberal Democrat

On a point of order. How many members were not called to ask questions on the fisheries statement?

Photo of Lord David Steel Lord David Steel Presiding Officer, Scottish Parliament

Three members were not called, including your good self, but that is not a point of order.

Photo of Tom McCabe Tom McCabe Labour 12:25, 28 October 1999

The motion, as usual, sets out the business for next week and the provisional business for the following week. The proposal is as follows.

On the afternoon of Wednesday 3 November, the meeting will start at 2.30 pm with time for reflection. That will be followed by a debate on an Executive motion on the Scottish Executive's compact with the voluntary sector. Thereafter, decision time will take place at 5 pm, followed by a members' business debate on motion S1M-208, in the name of Mr Michael Russell, on unemployment in north Ayrshire.

On Thursday 4 November, business will begin with a debate on a non-Executive motion from the Scottish National party on agricultural and rural affairs. A more specific motion will be laid nearer the time. On conclusion of the debate, I will move a further business motion.

The afternoon meeting of that day will start, as usual, with question time at 2.30 pm. That will be followed at 3.15 pm by a ministerial statement and debate on the strategic roads review. Decision time will take place at 5 pm and will be followed by a members' business debate on motion S1M-212, in the name of Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, on the Scottish parliamentary elections.

The business for the following week is, as always, provisional. On Wednesday 10 November, the meeting again will start at 2.30 pm, with time for reflection, followed by Executive business on a subject yet to be announced. After decision time at 5 pm, there will be a debate on members' business on a subject yet to be announced.

On Thursday 11 November, the first item of business will be a ministerial statement and debate on year 2000 and millennium date change issues. Before lunch, a further business motion will be moved. The afternoon meeting will begin at 2.30 pm with question time, followed at 3.15 pm by a debate on an affirmative Scottish statutory instrument, the Maximum Number of Judges (Scotland) Order 1999, which increases the maximum number of persons who may be appointed as judges. Following decision time at 5 pm, there will be a members' business debate on a subject yet to be announced.

The motion also sets out the date—22 November—by which the European Committee must report to the lead committee, the Rural Affairs Committee, on the Organic Aid (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1999.

I move,

That the Parliament agrees

(a) the following programme of business Wednesday 3 November 1999

2.30 pm Time for Reflection followed by Executive Debate on the Scottish Executive's Compact with the Voluntary Sector followed by Parliamentary Bureau motions

5.00 pm Decision Time followed by Members' Business Debate on the subject of S1M-208, Michael Russell: Unemployment in North Ayrshire Thursday 4 November 1999

9.30 am Non-Executive Business on a motion by the Scottish National Party

12.20 pm Business Motion

2.30 pm Question Time

3.00 pm Open Question Time followed by, no later than 3.15 pm Ministerial Statement and Debate on the Strategic Roads Review followed by Parliamentary Bureau motions

5.00 pm Decision Time followed by Members' Business Debate on the subject of S1M-212, Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Scottish Parliamentary Elections Wednesday 10 November 1999

2.30 pm Time for Reflection followed by Executive Business followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time followed by Members' Business Thursday 11 November 1999

9.30 am Ministerial Statement and Debate on Year 2000

12.20 pm Business Motion

2.30 pm Question Time

3.00 pm Open Question Time followed by, no later than 3.15 pm Debate on the Maximum Number of Judges (Scotland) Order 1999 followed by Parliamentary Bureau motions

5.00 pm Decision Time followed by Members' Business and (b), the following dates by which other committees should make any recommendations on instruments or draft instruments to the lead committee the European Committee to report to the Rural Affairs Committee by 22 November 1999 on the Organic Aid (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1999 (SSI 1999/107).

Photo of Lord David Steel Lord David Steel Presiding Officer, Scottish Parliament

No member has asked to speak against the motion, therefore I will put the question to the chamber. The question is, that motion S1M-231 be agreed to.

Motion agreed to.

Question, That the meeting be now adjourned until 2.30 pm today, put and agreed to.— [Mr McCabe.]

Meeting adjourned at 12:28.

On resuming—

Photo of Alex Johnstone Alex Johnstone Conservative 2:30, 28 October 1999

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Will you rule on what appears to be an attempt to manipulate the privilege of questioning the Executive? Five almost identical questions appear in today's questions, in what appears to be an attempt by one of the smaller parties in the chamber to score party political points.

Photo of Lord David Steel Lord David Steel Presiding Officer, Scottish Parliament

It is not unknown for parties in this chamber to put forward party political points [Laughter.] There is nothing out of order in members combining to lodge questions.

Before we begin question time, I am sure that the chamber would like to welcome in the distinguished strangers gallery the right hon Taranth Ranabhat, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nepal, and his delegation. [Applause.]